Epiphanies
by Coconutlove47
Summary: Basically a high school Frerard...I was bored. WARNING-Abusive girlfriends and slash-fluff. No smut today, children C;. Gerard and Frank thought they were straight. Then they meet each other.  Reviews are my babies 3
1. In Which Gerard Has An Epic Breakup

Gerard

"I'm sorry, okay Mels?"

"No you are fucking not."

"I really am!" I yelled, fury and frustration beginning to boil inside of me at her ridiculous, over-dramatized reaction.

"Don't give me that bullshit! You never loved me, and you never did! Get the fuck out of my house before I call the cops, Way! Oh, and you know something else? I never even really loved you anyway. I just used you to look popular. You were just my little fuck puppet. Now, get the hell out of here, Gerard!"

Stinging lividly with blind rage, I turned on my heel and marched out the door with my head held high, making sure to slam it in her face before she could see the tears welling up and running down my cheeks.

Oh, and by the way, if you're wondering who this mysterious guy who just got yelled at by their _ex_-girlfriend is, my name is Gerard Way. Don't feel too bad for me, though. She was a total bitch to begin with, and I don't know what I ever saw in her. I'm glad I got rid of her, though. One less of the painful amount of problems I'm straining to carry on my back.

Why she yelled at me? Mostly overreaction and hurt, which was caused by the fact that I'm going to be moving to a new house, a new school, and a new life.

I usually live in Summit, New Jersey, but I'm leaving for Belleville in the morning. I am looking forward to it, seeing as my life here is already living hell. Yeah, I also had the best fucking week ever ending with my perfect day today.

On Monday, I flunked the biggest test of my school year, then on Tuesday I got beaten up by some sadist bullies, just because I refused to cut my hair.

On the lovely Wednesday of this glorious week, my cat and best friend, Mr. Fluffington, got hit by a car. _That_ was an _amazing_ event.

Thursday was probably the worst, seeing as one of the bullies who had laughed at my hair pants'd me in front of the entire school during lunch.

And to complete this fabulous last week, you saw that little scene with Melissa back there. Fan fucking tastic.

Oh, and to top it all off, Mikey's being an ass and whining about moving. Mikey is my brother, who, unlike me, is actually really popular and really smart at school, so he will actually have something to miss. It's not that I don't love him with all my heart; it's just getting extremely irritating to listen to him ranting about his friends and girlfriend.

My personal belongings, mainly composed of my CDs, my CD player, shirts, skinny jeans, two hoodies with badges on them, and boxers, are packed in my school backpack, ready and set to go. Oh, and my secret comfort food stash, complete with chocolate and cake. Can't live without it. Seriously.

Anyway, everything of any value I owned was sitting by the door, and I was tapping my foot anxiously as my mom rechecked all the bags to make sure we hadn't forgotten anything.

"Alright, boys, ready to go?"

"Absolutely," I said, practically running towards the minivan.

"I guess," Mikey sighed, following me, less enthusiastically. Poor kid.

We got in the van and drove off. My heart was thumping wildly with anticipation, nerves, and a bit of hope that my life here would turn out better than the last.

Belleville isn't that far from Summit. It's only about 10 minutes away, if you drive slowly, even, but it's far enough away to lose all contact with your friends. If I had any to begin with.

This is scary.

I have no idea what the people here are like whatsoever.

But I'm willing to try.

We arrive at the new house, and it's surprisingly nice. The basement is perfect for a bedroom, so I call dibs on that. Mikey has the bedroom on the second floor.

That night, I get about three hours of sleep, tossing and turning with anxiety. Eventually morning comes, and I drag myself out of bed, throwing on a black t-shirt and skinny jeans. I do my eyeliner, making sure to smudge it so my eyes look big and dark. The high school is only about a block away, so I hurry out the door after Mikey and walk towards the new school.

I stand, paralyzed with nerves, my breathing shallow and fast, outside the school doors. I look at Mikey, and he gives me a reassuring glance.

Taking a long, deep breath to steady myself, I walk up, open the doors, and step into the school.

* * *

><p>Yeah, this is a mini chapter. I pinky swear the next will be long =P<p>

R&R and I'll love you forever.

xoxox

ATA


	2. Frank Meets A Very Special New Student

I'm like, all proud of myself for updating so quickly. I won't bug you until the end of the chappie. Love you. Mwah.

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><p><span>Frank<span>

I know she doesn't love me. I don't even know if I love her like I used to. She _uses_ me, and I always feel so filthy. I don't want to try to break up with her, though. She'll get all sulky, and make me feel guilty. Then, she'll force me to make her feel better in a way I really never, ever want to. It's repulsive, and every time I look at her I feel sick. It's not that I don't care about her; she just doesn't care about me. At all.

Then I hear her sickeningly sugar-sweet voice calling me. "Frankie, dear? Could you come here for a minute? I want to show you something."

I groan, mostly to myself, as I know it's going to be something dirty. As a teenage boy, I should probably be after this kind of stuff, but she is _way_ too interested in it for her own good. Also, it just doesn't feel right with her. In some weird way, I really hate it.

"Coming, sugar," I call, dragging myself off the couch, and stumbling to my feet, reluctantly making my way to her bedroom.

When I opened the door, Lily was standing in the middle of the floor, wearing nothing but a skimpy black dress. In fact, I was pretty damn sure she wasn't even wearing underwear.

"Could you come untie this for me, baby? I just can't get this knot out," she cooed, pointing to a small knot in the ribbon around her back.

I sigh, trudging over and quickly untying the bow. It comes out easily. Of course.

"Thank you, Frankie," she breathes seductively into my ear. I don't even shiver.

Then, she just drops the dress, turning back to her dresser. Looks like I was right about lack of underwear.

Apparently, my non-sexual reaction confuses her. She turns around and frowns at me. "Is something wrong, baby?"

I shake my head quickly. A little too quickly, but thankfully she doesn't notice. "No, nothing's wrong. I'm just kind of tired," I lied, edging slowly towards the door. "I'm going to go home and sleep, okay?"

Her eyes narrowed, but she nodded. "Okay. See you tomorrow, sugar."

"You, too, hun."

When I left her room, I practically ran from the house, not even bothering to look back once.

I arrived back at my home in about ten minutes, saying a quick hello to my mom and dashing into my room. I fall onto the bed in tears.

Morning comes too soon for my taste, and I roll out of my cave of blankets, eventually ready for school, a.k.a. Hell. I trudge through the slushy grass, the spring not bringing me any feeling of comfort despite the brutal winter. I fucking hate it here, but our family (my mom and I) is too poor to move. I have no friends, no siblings, and an abusive girlfriend. No one wants to talk to the emo freak.

I'm sitting in class, dozing off with my legs on the empty seat next to me, when suddenly the door opens while the teacher is calling attendance, and in walks a student I have never seen before.

He is fucking gorgeous; anyone with eyes could see that. Shoulder-length raven hair is casting shadows across his hazel eyes, while his chapped lips are turned up in a small, shy smile. His gaze is cast to the floor, and his cheeks are tinted pink. This new kid seriously has the most beautiful face I've ever seen in my entire life, even if he is a guy.

"What's your name?" Mr. Brown asks him, and his face turns flushes even more as he shuffles nervously, his eyes boring into the tile.

"G-Gerard," he stutters.

"Gerard…?" Mr. Brown prompts.

"Way."

"Very good. Now, take a seat."

He nervously looks around, and his gaze settles on the seat next to me. I quickly move my legs and he makes his way over, flopping gratefully down beside me. I flash him a grin, and he looks away, but smiles back. What was I thinking?

"Hi," he murmurs. I'm stunned. Why would someone like _him_ talk to someone like _me?_ But I'm not about to mess this up just yet.

"Hey," I grin, trying to seem relaxed even though my heart is pounding a tattoo against my ribcage. Wait, what the fuck? "I'm Frank. Frank Iero."

"Gerard Way. Though I think you already know that," he chuckles.

"Yeah."

I try to think of something funny to say when Mr. Brown raps the edge of my desk.

"Pay attention, Iero," he fumes, turning back to the front of the class.

I sigh and turn back to Gerard, seeing him grinning.

"Are all the teachers here like this?" he breathes in my ear. I shiver.

What the hell is wrong with me today?

"Nah. Some are better, most of them are worse. Actually, he's one of the nicer ones."

"Any I should be worried about in particular?"

I think for a minute. "Yeah, probably Mrs. O'Neil, but if you're new and you seem like a good student, she'll tolerate you. She hates me."

"Fuck that," he laughs. I giggle quietly so as for the teacher not to notice.

"You have a cute laugh," he commented. I blushed and looked away, my stomach twittering.

Okay…maybe I like being complimented…

"Thanks," I muttered, glancing up to see his cheekbones red and his eyes on his twisting hands. He had very…_artistic_ hands, I suppose, with long, graceful fingers and…wait. Why the fuck was I thinking about this guy's _hands_. Something was seriously wrong with me. Maybe I didn't get enough sleep last night…

"So, Gerard," I said, attempting to break the awkward silence as Mr. Brown droned on and on about some shit subject on who knows what. "What do you have next?"

"Um…" he murmured, opening his schedule and skimming it. "Fuck. Math," he groaned, making my heart skip a beat.

Fuck it, I'm just going to ignore my screwed up reactions.

"Me too," I grinned. "We can suffer together."

He smiled at me gratefully, relief lining every inch of his face. Poor guy, he must feel so alone, I thought.

Math went by pretty quickly, considering Gerard and I were talking and laughing about random topics. Luckily, that was the last block of the day, so I sighed in relief when the suffering ended. Someone younger approached Gerard's back with a huge smile on his face, and Gerard shrieked when he poked him.

"Mikey!" Gerard squealed, whirling around and hugging the younger, and I felt a wave of jealously wash over me.

These insane feelings are getting harder and harder to ignore…

"Hey, Gerard. How was your first day?"

"It was really good, actually. No one really bothered me, and I met Frank here. Oh, by the way, Frank, this is Mikey, my younger and smarter brother."

The jealousy lifted.

"Cool," I grinned, fist bumping Mikey. "Nice to meet you."

"You too," he grinned back. He was attractive, but there was something about Gerard that just made him…

Focus, Frank.

"So, you two seem pretty cool," I grinned. Cooler than me. By a lot.

"Thanks. So, you wanna hang out sometime, or…?"

"That would be awesome," I emphasized, grinning wildly. "When?"

"Um, today, if you want. I mean, I know I just met you and all, but it's cool, we're unpacked and everything," he laughed, scratching his neck awkwardly.

My stomach did a backflip. "Sure."

"Awesome. You can come whenever you want, my mom won't mind. Here's my number, you can call before you want to come, okay?"

He handed me a slip of paper, and I took it, nodding. "Alright. See you later, Gee," I said as he swiveled around, turning to go.

He stopped mid-turn, giggling. "Gee?" he asked, looking over his shoulder at me.

I felt my cheeks redden. "Um…yeah. I just thought it fit you…"

He laughed. "No, I like it. It's cute."

The butterfly Holocaust ravaged my intestines once more.

I laughed away the awkwardness, relieved. "Okay, see you later Gee."

"Bye, _Frankie_."

I giggled. Only my mom called me that.

He walked away, and my mood instantly darkened. I couldn't wait to see him later, and my oh-so-familiar pet butterflies were anticipating it.

Why was I feeling like this? I don't feel like this around other people. I mean, I haven't had a proper friend since…well, I haven't had a proper friend.

Ah, yes. That's what it was. Friendship.

Except I don't even feel that way around Lily anymore.

Sighing at my ridiculousness, I start walking down the sidewalk, planning out how I'm going to get to Gerard's. I hoped Mom would give me a ride.

When I got home, she must have noticed my smile, because her mouth dropped open in shock.

"F-Frank?" she gasped. "You…you're smiling…"

" I guess I am," I mused, feeling the unfamiliar grin across my face.

"Why?"

"I made a new friend today. His name's Gerard, and he's new. He asked me if I could go over later, if that's okay with you."

She stood there, gaping, until eventually she snapped out of it and ran over to me, hugging me while the tears spilled over her cheeks.

"Mom, are you crying?" I asked tentatively, bewildered as the hot liquid streamed down from her eyes.

She nodded. "I'm just…so…happy!" she gushed, her arms constricting even tighter around me.

Eventually she gathered herself and stood up, wiping her eyes. "Do you have his number?"

I handed it to her. "When can I go over?"

"Right now, if you want!" she beamed.

I grinned. "Okay, I'll text him."

She walked out of the kitchen as I pulled out my phone.

My hands were shaking as I typed, _Hey, you still want me to come over? XO_

I got a reply faster than I expected.

_Sure. You can come now if you want. My address is 256 Evergreen Avenue. XO_

_Okay, see you in about ten minutes! XO_

_Bye, Frankie! XO_

I giggled, then threw on some shoes, a Misfits hoodie, and scurried out the door, yelling, "Bye mom!" as I left.

"Bye, sweetie!" she called as I walked down the driveway. "Have fun!"

Luckily, I knew exactly where Evergreen Avenue was, so I knew where to go.

Eventually, I stopped in front of a very nice white house. I meandered up the driveway and nervously knocked on the door.

I heard footsteps, and the next thing I knew the door flung open and revealed a grinning Gerard.

"Fucking finally!" he laughed, stepping aside to let me in. I crossed the threshold and gazed in awe at the expensive, perfect, exotic furniture. He must be very rich.

"It's not much," he shrugged. "But it's much nicer than my other house."

"I can imagine…" I murmured, still staring around the room.

He grinned, bouncing up and down. "So…what do you want to do?"

I smiled back. "I don't know. What do you usually do when you have friends over?"

His face dropped slightly, and he stared at the floor, slightly pink. "I…well, I've never really…_had _any friends before, actually."

I gaped at him. "But…you're all cool and dark and mysterious and shit! How did people not like you?"

He blushed even further, but smiled. "I don't know…I just don't fit in."

"Dude…you fit in _way_ more than I ever could! By the way, just so you know, you're not alone. I don't have any friends either, except…well, except for you, I guess."

His face brightened, but his mouth dropped open. "Seriously?"

"Yeah," I muttered. "I don't have any siblings either…"

"But…you're all 'cool and dark and mysterious and shit!'" he quoted in a high- pitched voice, obviously trying hard not to laugh.

I snorted. "Seriously?"

"Totally. I mean, you're like, the only guy in there who looked like he _didn't_ follow the crowd."

"Yeah. It's so ridiculous, what people do these days. Popularity is so overrated."

"I couldn't agree more."

We smiled at each other, then he walked up to his fridge while I went in the living room and shouted, "You want anything?"

"Sure. What do you have?" I called back.

He started listing things off, and eventually I decided on a Pepsi. He tossed me the can, and despite my un-coordination I caught it.

We flopped down on the couch and sipped our soda for a while, then Gerard exclaimed, "Want to see my room?"

My stomach erupted with butterflies, and I almost sighed out loud. Great. The weird-ass feelings are back. Brilliant.

"Sure," I agreed, following him down the stairs into the basement.

Turns out, his room _was_ the basement. When he flicked on the lights it was so in contrast to everything else I almost laughed.

Papers and magazines littered the floor, all the way from his bed to the other wall.

Soda cans and dirty dishes covered his bedside table. If I hadn't known any better, I would have thought that room belonged to someone who had lived there for weeks, not one day.

"So…" I grinned. "I'm guessing you're _not_ the neat freak in the family."

He blushed and shook his head, grinning. "Nah. I leave that to my brother."

I skipped over to his bed, cleared off a large space, and plopped down, patting the area next to me. He sat down as well.

"So…" I murmured. "What do you want to do?"

"I seriously have no idea. Do you C.O.D.?"

"Hell yeah, I do!" I cried, jumping up. "Do you have the game?"

"Fuck yeah. One second."

We battled for a while. Admittedly, I was pretty good, but Gerard definitely kicked my ass.

"Ha!" he laughed when he beat me for the fourth time.

"Fuck you," I growled, throwing the controller on the floor and finishing the last of my soda.

"Oh, you wish," he said, wiggling his eyebrows. We laughed together, even though my stomach was tied into knots.

Frank Iero, you are a fucktard.

After about an hour of this, we finally decided to do something else. We pretty much just talked and ate, learning about each other's lives. The subject got pretty tense once we got to the subject of girls, though.

"Do you have a girlfriend, Gee?" I asked, interested.

His face hardened. "I _did,_" he said, a bit of venom in his tone.

"Ah. I see."

"How about you?" he grinned.

"Umm…yeah. But I think…"

"Think what?"

I sighed. He seemed sincere enough, and he had told me enough about himself, so I decided to tell him about my girlfriend, and how she used me.

When I had finished explaining, he looked aghast. "That's terrible! Why don't you ditch her?"

I shrugged. "I don't want any trouble."

"Frank," he murmured.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry," he whispered, laying his hand on my shoulder.

A jolt of electricity shot through me. I guess he felt it too, because he withdrew his hand like he had been burned.

"What the fuck was that?"

"No idea," I said, stunned.

We sat in silence for a few moments as we finished the last of our snacks.

I looked at him, and saw that he was staring at me.

We both moved slightly, so that we were facing each other.

I inched closer to him, feeling his warm breath on my face. Our noses were almost touching.

I started to lean in.

_What the fuck was I doing?_

I jerked my head back, grabbing the bag of chips next to him as an excuse for my ridiculous behavior. His cheeks were slightly colored and I could feel the heat radiating from my face as well.

I looked at my phone and jumped- I was supposed to be home 10 minutes ago.

"Hey, Gee? I'm really sorry but I have to go," I said, showing him the time.

He nodded, the blush faded. "Sure. See you tomorrow?"

"Yep. See you later."

I hesitate, not sure whether to hug him or wave or what, but he beats me to it.

"Bye, Frankie," he grins, encasing me in a bear hug.

I hugged him back, my stomach doing butterfly-filled backflips.

Finally, I pull away, get my shoes and walk out the door, waving, and watching as he waves back.

As I walk back to my house, I go over the events of my visit.

This has definitely been a weird day.

* * *

><p>Hehe, I kinda like where this is going ^_^ Not as shit as I thought.<p>

Anyway, I'm probably going to switch POVs every chapter. Might bring in Bob, because he's awesome. But for now...*shrugs and sips coffee*

Smooches! x


	3. Stubborn

Gerard

What the hell is wrong with me?

Why do I get butterflies every time I see Frank?

What happened when I touched his shoulder?

And most importantly, why did I let him get so close to my face?

Seriously, I think moving to a new neighborhood has affected my sanity.

After Frank left, I ambled back into the living room and sat down hard, thinking.

I'm straight.

I know I'm straight.

I _can't_ be gay.

…Can I?

Several minutes of self-conflict passed before I finally came to a conclusion.

I'm _not_ gay.

Sighing and flicking on the television, I watched some pointless show while going through my schedule for school. Man, they really love to make kids miserable here, don't they? French, P.E., Math and Biology, all in the same day. As in tomorrow.

I decide, after a while, to text Frank. To see what classes he has. Yeah.

'_Hey, it's Gerard. I have a question. Xo'_

I get a reply in under a minute.

'_Hey. What's up? Xo'_

'_Not much, just wanted to know what classes you have tomorrow…as in, am I going to be alone? :/'_

'_Uh, okay, let me see…'_

The next text he sent was a list of the exact classes I had the following day.

'_Awesome! Looks like I'm not going to be alone- we have the exact same schedule! :D Xo_'

'_Nice :D Well, sorry, but I have to go eat. Text me later? Xo_'

My stomach did a backflip. Oh, right, I was going to have a friend with me tomorrow. Yeah.

_Absopositivelyutely! (Hehe, I made that word up. Isn't it great?) Ttyl Xo_'

'_LOL it's great, Gee xD. Ttyl Xo'_

_'Bye, Frankie! Xo'_

I'm not quite sure what these feelings for Frank are.

But I do know one thing.

It's not love.

I'm not gay.

About an hour later, while sitting on the couch with my TV dinner, my phone buzzes. I pick it up, and my stomach twists as I see the name on the screen.

Frank.

'_Hey, Gee. What's up? Xo'_

'_Nothing much, Eating dinner. You? Xo'_

'_Oh, sorry to bug you. And not much, just doing homework. Xo'_

'_Haha, it's fine. And we had homework? D: Xo'_

'_Yeah, but the teacher decided not to give you it because you're new. She's like, the nicest one. Mrs. Granger? Xo'_

'_Oh, yeah. I like her lol Xo'_

'_Haha Xo'_

I tried to think of something to say when my phone vibrated again.

'_Gerard?'_

'_Yeah?'_

'_Do you think I should break up with Lily…? I mean, I don't want to hurt her but it's hurting me :/'_

My heart skipped a beat.

'_Do what you want to do. I personally think you should, cause she treats you horribly, but if you really love her maybe you could work something out…?'_

'_Thanks for the advice. You're a good friend :)'_

'_(: You too. Xo.'_

And, as butterflies swarmed within me, the stubborn part of me persisted.

I'm not gay.

* * *

><p>It's poop, I know.<p>

The next one will be better AND LONGER. Promise.

Frank is my comfort zone. Not Gerard. Peace.


	4. Two Sided

Frank

Oh shit.

Fuck. I was going to do it. I was going to do it.

I was going to break up with her.

Because Gerard wanted me to.

Wait, what?

I still clung to my excuse. Friendship.

And it's not like Gerard was the only reason. But he was a big part of it.

I dialed her number with shaking hands, pressing the phone to my ear as my stomach twisted into knots and my breathing became shallow.

"Hey, Frankie baby," her sickeningly sweet voice purred on the second ring.

She made me want to puke sometimes.

"Hey, babe. Can I talk to you in person later? Like, at the park?"

"Sure, sugar. When do you want to meet up?"

"Can you make it in ten minutes?"

"Of course I can. See you then," she said, her voice dripping with promise of sex.

Gross.

"Bye."

I hung up and texted Gerard.

'_Alright. I'm going to do it. Xo'_

'_Good luck. Xo'_

That was enough for me.

I took a deep, shaky breath and marched out the door with my head held high.

Five minutes later, I arrived at the park and sat down on a bench, waiting. She showed up soon after, and I stood up to hold her hands in mine.

"Lily," I took a deep breath. "You know how much I love and care for you, right?"

She smiled. "Of course I do."

"…As a sister?" I finished, bracing myself.

Her face turned to ice.

She snatched her hands out of mine. "Well, _fuck you._ After all I've done for you…"

She turned on her heel and marched away. I ran to catch up with her.

"Lily, please, don't be mad."

"Oh, why would I _possibly_ be mad?" she spat, her voice dripping with venomous sarcasm. "After all the…the _lies_ you told me-"

"I wasn't lying!" I said loudly, not quite yelling, but nearly there. "I was just tired of you _using_ me when I loved you!"

She sneered at me. "Fuck off."

And she marched away, head held high in the air.

I trudged back home.

But why did my symptoms of love not go away?

Gerard

I had a theory.

An idea I had been denying since the day I met him.

Let's see if I can't be proved wrong.

I called the number with shaking hands.

"Hello, Thalia speaking."

"Thalia? It's Gee."

Thalia was my second cousin. We had been very close when we were little, but when I moved to Jersey we sort of stopped talking. I did miss her, though.

"Gerard?" she gasped. "What's up? It's been so long."

I smiled, but then remembered what I wanted to ask. "Okay, so I know we haven't talked much in a while, but I need some…advice. Like, girl advice."

"Ooh, do you like someone? That's so sweet."

"Uh…well, I don't know if I do…"

"Well, do you think they like you?"

"Probably not."

"Then lets see if you like _them_ first," she giggled, her teenage girl instincts kicking in. "Do you like, get butterflies when you see them?"

"…Yeah."

"Do you get an electric _shock_ when you touch them?"

"…Mhm."

"Have you ever wanted to kiss them?"

I remembered the day when Frank first came over and how he got so close to my face, his lips millimeters from mine.

I remember some small part of me urging him on.

"Yep. Thanks. Bye, Thalia."

"Wait, Gee, who is it?"

"Call you later. Bye."

I hung up and dropped the phone from my frozen fingers.

"FUCK!" I yelled, punching the wall in anger. I actually hit it so hard I left a dent.

When did I suddenly turn _gay?_ Or at least bi…but now that I think about it, I've never really liked girls since I broke up with Melissa. But of course, of all the people in the world, it had to be him. Frank. My best and only friend.

Oh, how the world hates me.

Frank

I sat down on my bed in tears after that episode, but not just because of Lily. I was _extremely_ glad to be rid of her, truth be told.

I was crying because after a bit of thinking, I realized why the depression didn't wash over me after losing my "love." Because I loved someone else.

I was starting to realize my true feelings towards my best friend.

So, that's it, then? I'm _gay?_ Not that I hate it- I'm like the opposite of a homophobe, it was just a bit of a shock. I mean, you were straight all your life and then, BAM! Drooling over a guy. A straight guy who is also your only friend.

So, as you can tell, I was pretty depressed.

* * *

><p>I'm probably rushing it a little, but I'm trying to fit it all in, y'know? Deal with me, guys :P<p> 


	5. Progression

Gerard

Fan. Fucking. Tastic.

I have to face Frank at school today.

And he's in all of my classes.

Brilliant.

I groaned in self-pity, dragging myself across the room to my dresser.

That was, until I saw the time, realized I had 10 minutes until school started, and began to move at the speed of light, screaming at Mikey's door while I ran towards the bathroom, "Why the fuck didn't you wake me up? Mikey, get the fuck up!"

I heard a loud thump from his room, and the door swung open as I was hurriedly fixing my hair. A bed-headed Mikey staggered in, grabbing for his toothbrush and stammering about he didn't know it was that late as I lined my eyes with black.

Surprisingly, we made it out the door with two minutes to spare, and raced down the sidewalk, still clutching foam cups of coffee.

I dashed into my homeroom just as the bell rang with a sigh of relief. I threw the cup in the garbage after draining the last of it, earning a dirty look from the teacher, and glanced up to see the hazel eyes directed at the desk that have been on my mind nonstop.

I can do this.

I ambled over to him, flopping down. He barely looks up.

"Hey, Frankie."

"Hi, Gee," he mumbled.

I sense there's something wrong by the way he's not even attempting to make eye contact.

"What's wrong?"

He sighed. "Not much. I've just been having some…issues."

"With Lily?"

"Nah. I broke up with her yesterday."

My heart does a flying leap for joy.

"How'd that go?"

"She smacked me across the face and told me to fuck off."

"I thought she loved you?"

He chuckled coldly. "Good joke, Gee."

I patted him head on the head like a two-year-old, smiling. "Don't worry, Fwankie. It'll be alwight."

He grinned.

"So," I continued. "If you broke up with Lily, then what's bugging you?"

The grin melted off his face.

"Nothing…" he mumbled, returning his unfathomable gaze to the desk.

By unfathomable, I mean what on earth was going on in his head?

"Frank, you can tell me anything."

"Except this."

"Lies. What's up?"

He sighed, furrowing his eyebrows and hesitating, like he was choosing his words carefully. "I've just…been having…I realized something lately that is really new to me, and I'm probably going to have to get used to it. I'll be okay, I promise."

"What did you realize?"

He paused again before speaking. "Something I haven't been honest with myself until recently…and I've just…admitted it. To myself. If you get what I mean."

"Yeah. I'm actually going through the same thing right now. Weird."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

We were silent for a while, and I knew we were both curious but didn't want to admit it to the other. It was true for me, at least; no way in hell was he going to find out. At least not here, right now.

"Wanna come over after school?"

"Uh…" he looked taken aback, but smiled. "Sure."

"Cool."

We seemed on better terms after that.

After a long, exhausting school day, I pretty much skipped home with Frank. His mom knew where he was, seeing as he had texted her during lunch.

We ran inside, giggling as I led him down to the basement.

Frank

I tried to calm my pounding heart as I flopped onto the bed beside Gerard.

"So…what do you want to do?" I laughed, remembering that I had said the exact same thing yesterday.

"I don't know. You?"

I shook my head, still grinning.

We ended up playing Truth or Dare. One of the dares was to lick his carpet, and believe me, it was _disgusting_.

My turn again.

"Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Ever kissed someone besides your ex?"

"Nope. Kiss me, bro," I teased, puckering my lips and assuming he was looking at me, even though my eyes were dropped to my phone. If only…

"Frank," a soft voice said after a moment. I looked up to see Gerard staring intently at the floor, his cheeks tinted pink.

"Yeah, Gee?" I asked.

"I have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Well, it might freak you out…"

"Just tell me."

"Promise you won't hate me and run away or something?"

"Promise."

"I do. I want to kiss you," he murmured, his voice barely reaching above a whisper. My head snapped all the way up.

I scooted closer to him, my heart rate increasing when our faces were just millimeters apart.

Suddenly, everything was crystal clear.

"Then kiss me," I breathed.

And, before he could stop me, I leaned in and planted my lips on his.

He froze, but I didn't pull away. I mean, he had _said_ he had wanted it.

Unless my sick mind had made that part up.

But my doubts evaporated as he sighed and twisted his fingers in my hair. I pulled him closer to me, heart racing, head spinning, fingers splayed across his back, and I could have almost sworn there were flames erupting from my chest. He wrapped his legs around my waist, and we both fell back onto his bed, me on top of him. His tongue traced the shape of my lips. I willingly opened them and met his tongue with mine.

The door opened, but right now I couldn't have given less of a shit, even if it was his parents. Apparently, that was how Gerard felt as well, or he didn't notice the door open.

"Hey, Gera- HOLY FUCKING SHIT! WHAT THE FUCK?"

Oh. It was Mikey.

Gerard stuck up his middle finger over my shoulder, and I grinned while pushing him further into the bed to piss Mikey off.

"I'm out," Mikey stammered, sprinting out the door and falling _up_ the stairs, poor guy.

Once we heard his fumbling footsteps fade away out of earshot, we mutually pulled away and smiled weakly at each other.

Gerard

"Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Ever kissed someone besides your ex?" I asked nervously, trying not to show how anxious I was.

"Nope. Kiss me, bro," he joked, pursing his lips while tapping away at the screen of his cell.

My heart fluttered rapidly. This was the chance I had been looking for. It was now or never.

Goodbye, dignity.

"Frank," I said after a brief moment of hesitation. I could feel my cheeks burning as I studied the carpet, which had suddenly become incredibly interesting. Very nice color…coal black.

"Yeah, Gee?" he murmured, shutting off his phone.

"I have something to tell you," I muttered back. Here it goes…

"What is it?"

"Well, it might freak you out…"

"Just tell me."

"Promise you won't hate me and run away or something?"

"Promise."

"I do. I want to kiss you," I said quietly. There, it's done.

I heard him inch closer.

"Then kiss me," he whispered.

Suddenly, I felt something touch my lips.

He…kissed…_me?_

Oh my fuck.

Throwing all my doubts out the window, I exhaled softly and twisted my fingers in his hair.

I think I melted into a puddle of Gerard.

Honestly, I zoned out after that, too overwhelmed with everything that was happening. I do recall Mikey coming in and me flipping him off at one point, still not breaking the kiss.

After he left, though, I believe that was the point when I was really starting to need some oxygen, so our lips disconnected, and we grinned sheepishly at each other.

"So…" I said, trailing off.

"Um…well…so, do you like me?"

I gaped at him.

"Did you really have to ask that?"

He blushed, shaking his hair in front of his face and climbing off of me.

"Yeah…I just really like you, okay?"

"I figured," I smiled.


	6. Things You've Tried To Hide

Oh God. Hate me. It's so short and I haven't updated in so long. Go ahead, kill me.

**PS **The full chapter title (which wouldn't fit T_T) is Admitting Things You've Tried To Hide From Yourself Is Never An Easy Task.

* * *

><p><span>Gerard<span>

I think the worst thing after that was trying to explain it to Mikey.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," I grinned after Frank had left, joining him on the couch. No way would he take me seriously.

"Okay, seriously, Gerard, that was really disturbing. Why didn't you tell me before?" he exclaimed, waving his hands erratically in the air. "You don't have to be ashamed of being gay."

"I'm not! And I didn't tell you before because even _I_ didn't know. I only just admitted it to myself, and it just so happened, with probably the biggest stroke I've ever gotten in my _life_, that Frank liked me, too. If you have a problem with it, then you can-"

"I don't have a problem with it. It was just _really fucking gross_ to walk into your brother's room, wanting to know if I could borrow five bucks, and seeing you _making out_ with another dude. Not your everyday thing."

"Mikey, calm down-"

"And of course, it had to be Frank. Frank, the guy I see at school every day and who is in almost all my classes. Frank, the guy who is my _partner_ in my Chemistry project I have due at the end of the week. _Frank_, the guy my best friend hangs out with _all the time._"

"Who's your best friend?" I said quickly, changing the topic.

"Ray Toro. Brown eyes, afro? And at any rate, I didn't even know he swung that way either! Does he even? Was that a dare or something?"

"No, it wasn't a dare. And I didn't know he felt that way either up until about an hour ago. Why can't you just be happy for me?"

"I am!" he said hotly, but then took a deep breath and started again. "I am. I really am, but just…give me some time. You'd probably react the same if it was me."

I couldn't argue that.

"I suppose you just want some time to cool down and get used to this?"

Mikey smiled. "Yeah. Love you, Gee."

"Love you too, Mikes."

He made to leave, but changed his mind and looked over his shoulder. "Oh, and Gerard?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm buying you a lock for your door," he grinned.

Then he walked away to his room.

I immediately opened my phone and pressed "Frank," holding it to my ear.

"Hello?"

Even hearing his voice could make me smile.

"Hey Frankay," I said in a girly voice.

"Gee!" he squealed. Of course he knew, who else would call him that?

"Hi…I just talked to Mikey," I laughed.

"…Oh. How did he react?"

"Oh, he's fine with it. It was just a bit of a shock. But don't worry, it's cool with him."

"That's awesome! But there's one more complication."

"What?"

"Telling our parents."

Frank

"…That's true," Gerard said hesitantly, as though it bothered him.

"Don't worry, Gee," I soothed. "It'll be fine."

He paused for a minute, and then I heard the front door slam, and when Gerard spoke his voice was shaky. "My parents are home."

"I'm coming over again."

"O…kay."

I was out the door and headed towards Evergreen Avenue in under a minute.

I knocked softly on the door, only to have it thrown open almost immediately by Gerard.

He smiled. "Hey."

"Hey. You ready?"

He gulped. "Yes."

I took his hand and let him pull me into the house, releasing it almost immediately when he saw his parents. Gosh, he really resembled them.

"Mom? Dad?"

They looked up and smiled.

"I'm guessing this is Frank, your new friend?" Mrs. Way smiled at me warmly.

"You could say that…" I offered, trying to give them a hint. But no such luck.

Gerard took a deep breath, and then spoke once more. "Mom, Dad, you'd love me no matter what, right?"

Their eyes grew wary, but their smiles stayed in place. "Of course, sweetie."

"Well," he gulped. "Truth is…

"I'm gay."

Mrs. Way's smile never faltered, and she looked at her husband, who beamed back. "Well, we're glad you decided to tell us. And I'm guessing Frank here is your boyfriend?"

Gerard hesitated, glancing at me. I nodded, grinning.

Mikey zoomed into the room all of a sudden, completely out of nowhere.

"Did you tell them yet?" he asked, poking Gerard in the stomach.

"You just missed it," he replied, now shamelessly entwining his fingers with mine.

"And Frank? Do your parents know?" Mikey turned to me.

"Uh…no," I said honestly.

"Well, let's go!" Gerard grinned. "Bye, Mikey! Bye Mom, Dad!"

They all said goodbye and we rushed out the door again.

My mom was coming home with my dad in about five minutes, so I opened a bag of chips in the meantime. Too soon, the door opened, and I jumped to my feet, Gerard following suit.

"Mom?" I called.

"Yeah?"

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

She walked over to us. "Of course."

"Uh, well," I stammered. "I have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I think- well, I know I'm…gay."

She smiled. "Aw, sweetie, thank you for telling me. Is Gerard your…?"

"Yup."

Gerard kissed me swiftly on the cheek, causing me to blush.

God, that was easy.


	7. Lily

Oh my God, you guys, I'm so sorry holy shit o.O I left you for like two months...I'm so horrible gah.

* * *

><p><span>Frank<span>

"I'm really sorry, Mikey," I apologized.

He laughed. "It's fine, seriously. Gerard already apologized."

"And you're seriously okay with it?"

"Dude, it's cool. It was kind of obvious anyway."

"Kind of?" I groaned.

"Nah," he laughed. "Really, really, _really _obvious. Sorry, bro."

"Crap," I sighed.

"Yeah. Well, you can't hide it forever."

"True," I agreed.

Gerard walked in with coffee mug in hand that read, "Kiss my sass," which of course fit him perfectly.

"Oh, Gerard," Mikey said suddenly, reaching for a shopping bag on the couch next to him. "I bought it."

Gerard looked confused. "What'd you buy?"

Mikey grinned, lifting up a padlock.

Gerard blushed. "You were serious. Oh my God, I'm so sorry Mikes-"

Mikey laughed, shaking his head and pressing it into his hand. "It's _fine, _Gerard, just put this on…somehow. Figure it out."

I turned almost as red as Gerard. "Is that for his door?"

"Yup."

I buried my face in my palm.

Mikey laughed again- that kid has too much fun for his own good- and sauntered out of the living room.

Gerard sighed and sat next to me. "Sometimes…"

"Your brother is quite the optimist, isn't he?" I asked.

"Yeah. He's always been like that, except for when we had to move. He got really mad."

"You didn't?"

He shrugged. "I had nothing to miss."

"Well, what if you moved now?"

"I'd miss," he smiled, suddenly grabbing me and pulling me towards him, causing me to squeak with surprise, "you!" he poked me on the nose, making me giggle.

"I'd miss you too, Gee," I said softly, snuggling into him.

The moment was almost-but-then-again-not-quite ruined by Mrs. Way walking into the room, sighing "Aw," and then walking back out.

I could feel the heat radiating off of Gerard's face.

"Mom," he grumbled.

I laughed. "Should we go to your room instead?"

"Sure."

He pulled me up off of the couch and led me downstairs, sighing as he shut his door and looked at the lock.

"Sometimes, even though I love him and he's a great kid and all that, he can be really fucking retarded. How the fuck are you supposed to put a padlock on a door?"

"Just chuck it and do this," I smirked, pushing his dresser in front of his door.

He pursed his lips. "Fair enough."

He sat on his bed and held out his arms, motioning for me to go over.

I cocooned myself back into his embrace, sighing contentedly and burying my face in his chest, breathing deeply.

I felt his lips press against my hair. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

He took a deep breath. "Frank, do you believe in love at first sight?"

"Yeah."

"How about soul mates?"

I laughed, looking up at him. "Don't tell me you're going to start with the, 'Oh, Frank, I love you so much, we're soul mates, marry me!' thing," I paused, "because I really wouldn't mind."

He blushed. "Well, I'd wait for marriage…"

I gasped. "You love me?"

He turned a little redder. "Maybe…"

I crossed my arms, mock-frowning up at him. "Well, maybe I love you, too."

He grinned. "Aw, Frankie!"

I reached up and pulled his head down so I could kiss him.

Gerard

"Time for dinner, boys!" my mom called from the top of the stairs. "Frank, would you like to stay?"

"Thank you, but I have to get home to my mom. She's making lasagna," he called back breathlessly, attempting to fix his disheveled hair. I did the same, straightening my shirt and standing up. Frank followed me and helped move my dresser next to my door.

"Goodbye, Frank! I'm guessing we'll be seeing you often?" Mom smiled as he pulled on his shoes.

"Yeah," he grinned at me.

He lingered in the doorway. I gave my mom a death glare and she thankfully understood, turning around and smiling to herself.

I kissed him quickly and hugged him. "Bye, Frankie."

"Bye, Gee. Thank you, Mrs. Way!"

"Anytime, sweetie!" Mom called after him.

He left, waving.

"I like him," my mom smiled as I walked over to her. "He's a nice boy, and very polite. You two really are perfect for each other."

I blushed. "Mo-om."

"Hold on, sit for a minute," she laughed as I made to go around her. "I want to talk to you."

"About what?" I asked warily.

She sat opposite me and knotted her fingers together. "Now, Gerard, I know neither of you can get pregnant, but there's still the risk of diseases, and I don't want you to get anything. You know about protection, right?"

I sat, disbelieving and my face slowly turning red. "MOM, OH MY GOSH."

She pursed her lips. "I'm serious, Gerard."

I buried my face in my hands. "Mmhph mm mph."

She sighed. "What?"

I raised my head a little. "Yes, I do."

"Good. I'm not saying he has anything but you never know. And I want you two to be careful, alright?"

I nodded a little, wincing at the tangible awkwardness in the air.

Mom laughed. "I know it's embarrassing, hon, but we need to talk about it. You can go now."

I sprinted to my room and fell on my bed, my face burning.

There was a soft knock on the door. "Is Frank gone?" Mikey's voice called.

"Yeah. You can come in."

He opened it. "Why is your face all red?"

"Mom gave me…" I shuddered, "the talk."

Mikey shivered. "Eesh."

"Yeah."

He sat next to me. "Did you put the lock on your door?"

I sighed. "Mikes, I love you, but really, how are you supposed to put a padlock on your door?"

He pursed his lips, and then slapped his hand into his forehead. "Sorry. I'm an idiot."

I laughed. "It's fine. Frank and I can just move the dresser in front of my door."

"True. That's a good idea."

"Yeah."

"Oh, did I tell you I got a girlfriend?" Mikey grinned excitedly.

I grinned back at him. "Who is it?"

"Lily."


	8. Romeo

Frank

"You _can't_ be serious!" I groaned.

"I'm sure of it. Mikey is dating your ex," Gerard replied, confirming my fears once and for all.

"Did you tell him she's my ex?"

"Uh, well, no," he admitted.

"What'd you say?"

"I kind of just nodded and smiled."

I sat down for a minute on my couch, pressing the phone closer to my ear.

"Well, Gerard, maybe they'll be happy together? Maybe Mikey will like her?"

"He does," Gerard said hesitantly. "A lot. I just don't want Mikey to get hurt."

"Gee, baby, no offence, but I think Mikey's old enough to make his own decisions. Give him a chance."

"You're okay with them dating?"

I smiled, even though he couldn't see me. "As long as it doesn't affect us, I'm fine with it."

I could tell he was smiling, too. "Alright, Frank. Love you."

"Love you more," I grinned.

"Nuh-uh. Love _you_ more."

"I love you more than you do."

"What?" he giggled. "I still love you more."

"Okay guys, I'm happy for you and all, but this is a little too much," I heard Mikey say in the background.

Gerard laughed. "Okay, Mikey. Bye, Frank."

"Bye."

I hung up.

As soon as I ended the call, my phone rang again. The screen lit up, showing a name I hadn't thought about in years.

I answered it, wondering if it was really him.

"Hello?"

"Frank!" I heard a familiar voice shout. "How've you been?"

"Bob! Gosh, I haven't talked to, or seen you, in forever! I've been great!"

"That's cool man, really cool. I've been doing fine. Hey, I'm coming up to Belleville really soon, and I was wondering if you wanted to hang. I might have a party if my parents go out to eat or something."

"That sounds great! Where are you staying?"

"At my aunts. You remember where she lives, right?"

I laughed. "How could I forget?"

He laughed, too. "Alright, see you in ten."

"Bye."

"MOM, I'M GOING TO BOB'S," I yelled.

"THAT'S NICE, HONEY," she shouted back from upstairs. "Is he in town?"

"YEAH, HE'S STAYING AT HIS AUNT'S." I was a lot louder than was necessary, but I was excited.

"Have fun!"

I threw on some shoes and practically sprinted out the door. Bob Bryar and I were diaper buddies. Literally- our moms were friends from high school and we were born in the same hospital.

He had moved in sixth grade, and with all the abuse being thrown at me for dressing like an emo I had forgot about him. He would stand up for me and beat the living crap out of anyone who made fun of me. I remembered how much I had missed him in middle school.

I knocked three times on his door. We always used to do that so we knew who it was right away.

The door opened, and I couldn't help but squeal and throw my arms around my best friend. I mean, Gerard's awesome and amazing and all that, but Bob and I…well, I just can't explain it. Plus, Gerard's my boyfriend, so it's okay.

Oh yeah…I'm going to have to tell Bob I'm dating him…wow. Awkward.

"Look how much you've grown…not!" he teased, hugging me back.

"Oh, shut up, you were the same height as me when you moved," I shot back amusedly.

"Yeah, but I didn't stay a midget. It's good to see you, man."

"You, too. Wow, dude, you grew a beard? What?"

Bob scratched his blonde-covered chin, grinning. "Yeah, I'm working on it."

I laughed. "May I come in, monsieur?"

He gave a deep chuckle that I remembered from elementary school. "Oui, you may."

I stepped inside the familiar surroundings, heading straight to the kitchen and immediately knowing where everything was.

"You always go straight for the food. I missed you, bro," Bob laughed from behind me.

"And I missed your fridge. Pepsi, right?"

He grinned and I tossed him a can.

"So, shortie, what's new?" he said as we sat down on his brown leather couch.

"Well, uh." Here goes. "I'm dating someone."

He punched me in the shoulder. "You're shitting me! What's her name?"

I gulped. "G…Gerard."

"Come again?"

I took a deep breath. "H-his name's Gerard."

To my surprise, he began laughing and punched my shoulder again. "I always knew you weren't straight. Sorry, Frank, but normal guys don't use their mom's makeup."

"It was just eyeliner!" I protested, but smiled anyway.

He stopped laughing for a moment, but then a weird expression came over his face and he started up again.

"What?"

"I don't know if you remember, but…" he choked out, "remember in kindergarten when you put on that dress, and…"

My face burned crimson. I remembered now- back when I was five I had put on a wedding dress and a veil, grabbing a kid named Kevin and proclaiming we were getting married to the whole class.

"I don't think the teacher liked me after that," I muttered.

"Yeah, dude," Bob agreed. "She was a homophobe."

"How do you know?"

"She caught two teenage dudes kissing and gave them three times the detention than they were supposed to."

"Oh."

"So, Gerard," Bob grinned slyly, dragging out the "a" and making me blush. "What does he look like?"

I shrugged. "He has black hair, about shoulder-length, hazel eyes and he wears eyeliner like me."

"So, in your opinion, totally fucking gorgeous?"

I laughed. "Yeah."

He grinned. "I'll have to meet him. He has to pass 'The Bob Inspection.'"

"I thought that was for girls!"

"It was for anyone you dated."

"Touché."

He sipped his Pepsi. "Anything else new?"

"Not really…I just found out Gerard's brother Mikey is dating my ex."

"Mikey's gay, too? And geez, dude, how many boyfriends have you had?"

"It was a girl."

"Oh. And you dumped her because you realized you weren't straight?"

"Partly. That, and she would use me for sex."

"Another reason you aren't straight."

"Shut up, you," I laughed.

"And you're okay with it?"

I shrugged, repeating what I had said to Gerard.

He nodded slowly. "Well, good for you, little man. I told you I'm having a party, right?"

"Up until now it was maybe. Your aunt's cool with it?"

"Yeah. Bring Gerard, and Mikey, if they can come."

I laughed. "Alright. You still single?"

"As ever," he sighed, shaking his head. "I swear I'm going to marry my cat."

"I think that's illegal."

"Take a joke. You up for Halo 3?"

"As ever," I grinned.

Gerard

I checked the clock.

11 PM.

And Mikey was still on the phone with Lily.

I groaned and shoved my face deeper into my pillow, trying to block out his excess laughter and bubbly voice. Me and lack of sleep do not go well together.

I couldn't blame him. I understood pretty much exactly how he was feeling, except Lily was a girl.

Around eleven fifteen I ended up blasting Iron Maiden into my ears. Weirdly, that stuff puts me to sleep.

I woke up the next morning with a migraine and my ears ringing. I yanked the headphones out of my ears and groaned, picking up my phone. God, it's like six AM. I noticed a new text.

It was from Thalia.

'_You fucker, you left me hanging. Who do you like, anyway? Xoxo :P'_

I grinned and began typing.

'_I'll tell you what she looks like. She's a bit shorter than me, has a lip and nose piercing, a shitload of tattoos, black hair and hazel eyes like mine. And we're dating now :P'_

I had barely waited a minute before my phone buzzed.

' _Finally! God. And, if this doesn't sound weird, how's her body? And what's her name?' _it read.

'_Oh, she's super flat-chested, and not many curves, either, _I typed. _And you have to guess.'_

'_Geez, Gerard. I thought you'd go for someone with more of a body than that…but whatever you like, I guess. And how the hell am I supposed to guess that?'_

'_It starts with an F.'_

'_Francine?'_

'_Nope.'_

'_Felicity?'_

'_The fuck? That's like, ancient XD'_

'_Shut up, I'm thinking. Flora?'_

'_No.'_

'_What is it?'_

I smiled to myself.

'_Frank.'_

She didn't reply for about a minute.

'_You're dating a girl named Frank?'_

'_*Boy.'_

This time it was a whole two minutes before she replied.

'_HA. I always knew you were gay.'_

'_EVERYONE says that. I'm not that girly.'_

'_You kinda are.'_

'_Screw you.'_

'_Go screw Frank.'_

'_Maybe I will.' _I chuckle darkly to myself.

'_Leave out the details, please D: And at least send me a picture of him!_'

'_I, uh, I don't have one. Wait, I'll text him.'_

'_Ok.'_

I go under my contacts and scan through the (very few) ones I have before finding Frank.

'_Frankie, you up? Xo'_

Ten seconds later I get a reply.

'_Yeah. Why? Xo'_

'_I need you to send me a picture of yourself.'_

I can tell he paused, because it takes him a few seconds longer to reply.

'_What, like, a nude pic? I didn't think you were a perv… xo'_

I laugh.

'_No, you perv, like a normal picture. My cousin wants to see what you look like. Xo'_

'_Oh, heh. Sure thing, babe. One second.'_

A minute later, he sends me a picture or himself leaning against the wall, making a peace sign at the camera.

'_Gasp! I almost forgot how gorgeous you are ;) Thanks babe xo'_

'_Oh, stop it you :P. See you at school ;) xo'_

'_Later :P xo'_

I quickly sent the picture to Thalia.

'_Wow, Gerard, nice work ;P Not my type, but perfect for you.'_

'_Thanks ;P Anyway, I'd best be off to school.'_

'_You mean, "The Place Where I Can See and Flirt With and Swoon Over the Love of My Life and Not Do Any Work Whatsoever?"'_

'_Precisely. Talk to you later, Tals.'_

'_Bye, Romeo.'_

I found myself humming a random love song I heard on the radio as I practically pranced into school.


End file.
